The Hierophant traditionally represents the connection between humans and the divine, the teacher of hidden knowledge, spiritual beliefs, organized religion, moral growth and development. Here we have a symbol of tradition and moral authority. The Hierophant can be seen as representing formal, organized religious and moral beliefs and attitudes, education and the principle of teaching and learning. 

In the past this has been one of my least favorite cards.  It's association with organized religion and The Pope has always turned me off.  How ironic that The Hierophant is my birth card.  I think my issue has always been that I focus more on the negative aspects of organized religion rather than the positive ones, and there are positive aspects of organized religion.  The early Christian church was responsible for saving the legends and myths of various cultures.  They may have altered them somewhat but it is entirely possible they would have been lost forever without the monks copying these chronicles.  In its early years the Christian church also treated women as equals.  Even during the Reformation and Great Schism, the emerging Protestant Church translated the Bible in native languages thus allowing more people to connect with the "word of God". 

In pre-Christian societies it is likely that there was a priestly caste who responsibility was to remember the tribe's history and lore.  These priests would have been responsible for organizing and conducting the rituals that marked the various rites of passage in the tribe.  They might also have served as counselors and advisors to the ruler of the tribe.  These priests would have been the core of the community teaching moral values and creating traditions that tied the tribe together. 

This is a side of The Hierophant that I can identify with - the keeper of traditions and lore.  I have a tendency to love listening to the local legends of my neighborhood and my family.  I hope someday to pass them on to those who follow me.  I realize that sometimes this can seem like a tendency towards "see what I know" but in reality it's not so much that I'm showing off my knowledge, it's that I want the legends to be remembered.  There is a rich history here and I would hate to see it lost.  Then again I think every family has some sort of rich history but in today's television obsessed society I don't think many kids are interested in hearing them.  In fact I think that's a key concept presented in the movie Avalon - how the family's values and connection change as they become more assimilated and Americanized.  Television takes the place of family stories.  Even books have contributed to this tendency.  We don't value our own stories because we are so busy losing ourselves in someone else's.

Maybe that is something I can focus on - collecting the family stories of my family and those of friends.  It is sad when these stories are lost.  I often wonder how couple's first met - my godparents, various aunts and uncles.  I know in some instances they grew up together but what made them decide to marry?  What makes any of us choose the paths we do?  The only way to memorialize these things is to listen to those stories and hopefully pass them on.